The Dandelion Club
by Infinite Drops of Rain
Summary: They're the outcasts of their clans. Neglected. Forgotten. And miserably lonely, with problems they can't hope to fix by themselves. Four young cats meet and work together to pick up the pieces of their twisted, broken lives, meeting in secret every moon. These cats call themselves the Dandelion Club, after the hated weeds that, against all odds, keep on going and growing.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: hey guys! After a 3-4 month hiatus, I'm pleased to say that I'm back! Unfortunately, I'm cancelling Prove To You. The plot was atrocious and planned out horribly. I'm not sure I even planned it out at all. I AM trying to keep this story alive until the end, however! I've taken major precautions: actually planning/writing out the plot (kudos to you, Infinite, for doing the blindingly obvious), planning out the characters' personalities (whOA! Look! Something else I wasn't doing before that I should've done!) and planning out what the chapters are going to be about beforehand. Kinda. Smooth, Infinite. Real smooth. Also, I swear I wasn't trying to copy Trinity (the TV series), as they also have a Dandelion Club. It was a coincidence. The idea came to me what... a year or so ago, I'd say, while I was being all moody and existential and watching dandelions in my backyard.**

While everybody else at the Gathering was mingling together and sharing tongues with old friends, Pebbleclaw sat to the side: the outcast of WindClan.

The scarred tom was stone-still, but his alertness showed in his pricked ears, his narrowed gaze, and his unsheathed claws. He watched as his younger brother joked with a group of ThunderClan apprentices. They were all smaller than his brother. Clearly innocent. There was no danger of Gorsefoot being attacked here. Pebbleclaw relaxed, but only slightly, and he kept his claws unsheathed, just in case.

Pebbleclaw had no intention of joining anybody in their conversations. They wouldn't have let him, anyway. But miraculously, two giggly RiverClan she-cats approached him. The smaller one, a pretty tortoiseshell, stole a glance at him and blushed when their eyes met. They obviously didn't know who he was.

She sat down next to him. "Hi!" she meowed, her voice shrill and loud. "I'm Flowerpaw, but most call me beautiful instead." She laughed. "Get it? Because I'm pretty?"

 _StarClan, this she-cat is annoying,_ thought Pebbleclaw irritably. He didn't bother to put on a fake smile at her joke.

When the handsome tabby tom failed to react, Flowerpaw frowned. "Heyy," she whined. "No need to be rude. But that's okay!" she added, suddenly brightening up. "I'll just talk, and you can listen. You're one of the strong, stoic types, right? I bet. You certainly look the part." Flowerpaw, the silly she-cat, fluttered her eyelashes.

Pebbleclaw hissed under his breath and lashed his tail, but he didn't move. The spot he was currently in was the best if he wanted to continue observing his younger brother, Gorsefoot. "I'm sort of busy right now," he said, trying to keep his tone friendly and professional. "Could you please leave?"

Flowerpaw gasped. "Rude!" she scoffed. "But that's okay too, handsome." Her pitiful attempts at flirting were seriously annoying Pebbleclaw right now. She slid in front of him, narrowing her eyes in what she must have thought was sensual and irresistible way. "Wanna meet up later?" she cooed. "You're cute."

This was too much. Pebbleclaw growled under his breath and stood up abruptly, lunging at the foolish she-cat and pinning her to the ground. He could barely stop himself from slicing her throat open, his bloodlust almost overtaking him again. A red haze tinged his vision and he pressed his paw down harder, almost cutting off her oxygen supply.

"S-stop!" cried Flowerpaw. "What are you doing? I was only..." The tortoiseshell pawed feebly at him, gasping for air. Her eyes dilated in fear as Pebbleclaw picked up the paw and immediately slammed it down, choking her even more. She started twitching.

Flowerpaw's friend sprang into action, knocking the sturdy tom off of Flowerpaw and landing in a defensive crouch in front of her. "Get away from her," she hissed. "Psycho."

Pebbleclaw started to respond, teeth bared, but then looked at Flowerpaw, a lump on the ground, massaging her throat. The anger disappeared, and he could only stare in shock and horror at what he had done.

 _StarClan help me. I lost control again._

Flowerpaw managed to get up and lean again her friend, coughing. They hobbled away together, the two apprentices throwing venomous glances over their shoulders at him. If looks could kill, well, StarClan help him. Pebbleclaw flopped down, shame burning in his ears and cheeks. He'd almost killed an apprentice whose only crime was being annoyingly flirtatious. But more than that, he'd snapped. Again. It was the second time this moon. A cold fear snaked through his veins, turning his blood to ice and sending shivers up and down his spine. He contemplated what would've happened if he hadn't stopped in time or, worse, if he'd attacked his brother. The very thought of it turned his insides to mush.

Pebbleclaw sighed, sheathing his claws. It was no use thinking about things that couldn't change. With a start, he realized that the leaders had already finished all of their announcements and he hadn't heard a word they had said. Warriors were already getting up and starting to share tongues again.

He turned slightly, just so he could watch Gorsefoot a little better, when he caught something out of the corner of his eye.

It was a she-cat; nothing spectacular. Gray fur. Yellow eyes. Medium build, warrior size. Perfectly normal, except for the fact that she was sitting away from the rest of clans. Just like he was.

Curiosity, a new and foreign feeling to Pebbleclaw, blossomed in his chest. Why was she sitting apart from the rest of her clan like that? What atrocities had she committed? What made her the equal of he? He didn't particularly want to talk to a fish-breathed warrior, but the unanswered questions were too much for him to bear, plus the fact that he had found another outcast. He wanted to hear her story, so the tabby warrior padded over to the she-cat.

"Hello," he meowed, sitting down next to her. As he did so, their pelts brushed together, and the she-cat stiffened like she had been shocked with electricity.

"Hey," she replied, not even bothering to look at him. "Do I know you?"

"No. But I saw you sitting here, and..." Pebbleclaw's voice trailed off. He hadn't realized how awkward this would be. "Um, what's up?" He cringed at his awful attempt at casual talk, something he wasn't even close to proficient in.

"Oh, you know... the fish is swimming, rain is falling, I'm alive..."

"Er, alright."

There was a pregnant pause.

Pebbleclaw took a deep breath and decided to get it out. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?" he asked. "How come you aren't talking with your friends?"

"Friends? What are those?" she snorted, a wry smile appearing on her lips. "Nobody wants to get near me. I'm terminal. They're all afraid of how to speak to me. That's okay, though. They're all insensitive fish-brains, anyway."

Pebbleclaw winced at the brutal truth and racked his brain for things to say. He was going to apologize for the spunky she-cat's hardships, but he knew from experience how empty the words "I'm sorry" could be.

"The disease is going to be sorry that it ever came upon you, judging by your personality," he offered. The she-cat purred, a low, raspy thing that Flowerpaw's meow couldn't even begin to compare to.

"Hey, thanks," she said. "I'm Stormpaw, by the way." She must have noticed the shock on Pebbleclaw's face, because she added, "I was supposed to be a warrior a couple moons ago, but my stupid illness got in the way. It's okay, though." Stormpaw shrugged. "Now it's my turn."

Pebbleclaw frowned, unease coursing through his blood. "Your turn for what?"

"To ask why _you_ were sitting alone. I'm not blind, you know. I saw your clan avoiding you." Pebbleclaw winced inwardly, cursing under his breath.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just... you know..." He trailed off, looking into Stormpaw's skeptical eyes. "The clans are about to leave soon. I have to ru-"

"I saw how you attacked that RiverClan apprentice," Stormpaw interrupted calmly.

Pebbleclaw stiffened, his claws sliding out and tearing gouges into the dirt, a nervous habit he'd never managed to stop doing. "What?"

"It has something to do with that, doesn't it?"

"You're a nosy apprentice, aren't you?" the tabby growled, his former friendly air replaced with one of cold iciness. He got up to leave, but the gentle touch of Stormpaw's tail on his shoulder stopped him. It was tender. Gentle. He couldn't remember the last time somebody had touched him like that. It stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm sorry," said Stormpaw hesitantly, like she wasn't used to the words. "I didn't mean to- sorry. I was poking my nose around in personal stuff. It's fine if you don't want to tell me."

Pebbleclaw sighed and sat down. "...No, it's... it's... I'll tell you. And I understand if you hate me afterwards.

"I have anger issues. Really bad anger issues. And it's like... like I lose control sometimes. I break. Once I attacked an enemy warrior and-" Pebbleclaw drew in a long, shuddering breath, pulling a paw across his throat. Stormpaw winced. "And even my own clanmates. I've never killed them, but some I've scarred for life. Everybody's afraid of me."

"Why didn't Rabbitstar exile you?" Stormpaw asked, not bothering to dance around the subject with pleasantries and subject-changes. The brutally honest she-cat tipped her head to the side, shooting the WindClan warrior a questioning glance.

"He thought that I still had it in me to be great," Pebbleclaw admitted, heat flushing to his cheeks. "Rabbitstar thought that, with some help, I could get over all the bad parts. That was two seasons ago. Obviously, he was wrong."

"Hey," said Stormpaw lightly, bumping against him, "it's okay. It could be worse. You could be dying slowly every day." She laughed, although her humor was tinged with sadness.

"Technically, we're all dying every day," the tom pointed out. "Don't think you're so special. I mean, we're alike in other ways too. Both neglected, left-out, the outcasts..." His voice trailed off, and the whole atmosphere suddenly became very gloomy. Pebbleclaw half-turned and saw that the clan leaders had jumped off of the oak tree.

Surprisingly, Pebbleclaw didn't want to leave. Stormpaw was practically the only cat he'd talked to in days, aside from his brother. Venting his feelings out... it felt good. Stormpaw seemed to feel the same way, lingering by his side for a few moments before padding away to join RiverClan.

"I'll see you at the next Gathering," he called out, waving his tail goodbye. He stayed there for another heartbeat before running to catch up with the rest of WindClan, a gentle breeze tickling his ears, his nose, his fur. A small smile broke out on Pebbleclaw's face as he raced back to camp. It was something that didn't happen often, but he liked it.

 **Hellooo! More author's notes down here! /waves/ What do you think? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Thanks! Peace out- Infinite.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Infinite here! Thanks for all the feedback ;w; I really appreciate it. This chapter was going to be longer, but then I was like, "Screw it. I could take the other half and make it another chapter." So yeah!**

 **Review replies:**

 **Shiverdream of Windclan: Aah, thanks so much :ooo**

 **PerfectlyClearly: Thanks! Yes, I'm trying to keep them balanced, so I'm glad they're working : I also want to add in a couple more personality quirks for them, though.**

 **Dewmist: Thanks, Misty!**

It took two more Gatherings before Pebbleclaw and Stormpaw trusted each other enough to meet in secret.

It was four days before they were supposed to meet up. Pebbleclaw's heart was thudding against his chest and he took a deep breath, hoping that it would calm his frayed nerves. Instead, his heart beat faster, racing like a rabbit.

It was a constant reminder that he was basically betraying his clan. Sneaking out of camp, meeting with somebody at the Island, talking with an _enemy warrior_... Pebbleclaw's head spun, his fierce desire to remain loyal fighting against his want - no, his _need_ \- for companionship, for a friend he could laugh with and whisper secrets to. He unsheathed his claws, the pearly crescents sinking into the prey in front of him.

"Whoa there!" said Gorsefoot, alarmed. "What are you doing?"

Pebbleclaw looked down and realized that he'd basically shredded the bottom half of the rabbit without even realizing it. Heat flushed to his cheeks and he bent down to take a big mouthful.

"You seem nervous," his brother continued. "Is something wrong? You can tell me anything, you know." Gorsefoot blinked at him innocently, blue eyes round with worry.

"Nothing's wrong," Pebbleclaw replied, picking the rabbit bones clean. "It's just- you wouldn't understand."

Gorsefoot fluffed his fur out. "I would totally understand," he said, indignant. "Really! I would!"

 _No, you wouldn't,_ thought Pebbleclaw glumly. And it was true; Gorsefoot had never faced the same kind of discrimination that his brother had. He never had a shortage of loving and supportive friends. He wouldn't understand why Pebbleclaw was breaking the warrior code and risking exile to meet up with somebody.

"Forget it," growled Pebbleclaw, his eyes narrow slits. "I'm going hunting. And don't bother coming, either," he added, getting up. Gorsefoot looked hurt and crestfallen. For a moment a twinge of guilt chilled Pebbleclaw's heart, and so he sat down, sighing.

"Sorry, but... I just need some alone time, alright? I'll see you later." With that, Pebbleclaw left the camp, hoping that hunting would distract him from his nerves.

The tabby tom raced across the moor, the wind like tiny pieces of ice stabbing his eyes. Despite the bitter, unusually cold weather, he grinned. Hunting was Pebbleclaw's true love. He might be better at fighting, but there was pretty much no place he'd rather be than chasing a rabbit across the moor.

Almost as if he'd summoned it with his mind, a cottontail appeared, hopping down a slight indent in the moor. Pebbleclaw bunched his muscles together and used the springy ground as a launching board, sinking his fangs into the poor creature's neck. He promptly buried it and continued running.

Unfortunately, the rabbit was his only piece of prey all morning. He'd been across almost all of WindClan's territory. The only place left was near the ThunderClan border, which he didn't like hunting near because it harbored so many hairy squirrels and tough, stringy mice.

It was Pebbleclaw's only choice, though. He reluctantly slowed down his speed as he neared the border, panting, until he caught sight of a vole. Grimacing, he chased after it, slamming down a paw on its spine right on the border. The scarred tom winced at the messy kill.

As he picked it up and was about to go back to collect the rabbit he'd caught earlier, a ThunderClan patrol of three blundered into the sparse woods.

The biggest one, a tough-looking white tom, snarled at him, his eyes filled with menace. "We saw you!" he yowled. "You took our prey!"

"What? No!" Pebbleclaw dropped the vole and backed away. "I chased it from WindClan territory!"

"Yeah, but you caught it on ThunderClan territory," argued the she-cat next to the tom. Her blue eyes were hostile and her gray fur was spiked. "It would have run onto here, which means that you technically just caught prey that could have fed ThunderClan cats."

"I don't- what? It's WindClan prey. Besides, I caught it on the border."

"You're wrong," snarled the white tom, stepping forward. "That's our prey. Give it back." Pebbleclaw frowned and looked at the third cat in the patrol, a plump ginger tabby who just stood there, head bowed.

" _She_ isn't supporting your argument," Pebbleclaw pointed out, jabbing his tail at the ginger she-cat. He took a deep breath, struggling to keep his anger in check. "She must think you're wrong, which you are. I'm telling you, I caught it on the border."

"You're looking at Amberwing for support?" sneered the gray she-cat. "She can barely understand hunting and fighting. Her little kittypet brain can't keep up with the big-warrior talk. I have to say, though, you're a lot worse than her."

Pebbleclaw narrowed his eyes. "Shut up," he growled, dropping into an attack crouch. "It's my prey!"

"Oh yeah? Wanna fight for it, rabbit-head?" the she-cat taunted, bristling her fur. Pebbleclaw snarled at her, his eyes filling with rage. He lunged, claws scraping down the cat's spine, and was about to pull out a piece of the fleapelt's fur when something pushed him aside.

"N-no! Please, please stop!" The voice was small, shaky, soft. Pebbleclaw's rage faded and he turned to see the ginger she-cat, Amberwing, standing over him.

"StarClan!" she gasped. "You... you're hurt!" She looked at her clanmate. "Oh no! You're hurt too! Are you okay?" She dropped down to the gray she-cat's side, licking the wounds of the warrior who had insulted her no more than a few heart-beats ago. "This is terrible," she said, worry clear in her voice. "Those scratches are really deep."

The she-cat grunted and sat up, blood trickling out of the gash on her back. "I'm fine," she rasped. "Get off me."

"Why so rude?" growled Pebbleclaw, lashing his tail. "She just saved your life."

"Like I was in any danger," the gray cat retorted, licking her wounds. "Come on, Snowtail. Let's go. The WindClan warrior can have his prey. He certainly needs it, the scrawny rabbit-brain."

Pebbleclaw was on the verge of attacking them again when Amberwing placed her tail-tip on his shoulder.

"Please," she whispered, her eyes welling up, "just let it go. I don't like it when cats fight." She looked back; the two other cats had already left and didn't seem to notice that Amberwing wasn't with them.

The scarred tabby tom growled with frustration, claws tearing up the grass beneath him. "But... but they're terrible!" he stammered. "They made fun of you!"

"I know," she said quietly. "But I can't do anything about it."

Pebbleclaw looked at her, appalled. "Stand up for yourself!"

"I can't." Amberwing just barely breathed the words, and she stared down at her paws. "They hate me because I'm too soft and because I used to be a kittypet. There's not a lot I can do to change that. It's just who I am, and if they don't accept it-"

"If they don't accept it, it's their loss," interrupted Pebbleclaw. "Amberwing... I know how you feel." He was about to go on, ready to break into a deep, lengthy, and meaningful conversation in an attempt to make the she-cat feel better, but she cut him off.

"No, I don't think you do." Her voice was quiet but firm. Amberwing looked up, straight into Pebbleclaw's eyes. The battle-scarred tom was alarmed by her clear, flickering blue orbs. They were... _off_. Broken, hopeless, lonely, filled with sadness and despair. He involuntarily took a step back.

"I-"

"I think..." The ginger she-cat turned around. "I think it's time for you to go. I-I'm sorry. I can't- I'm sorry. You can keep the vole you caught earlier." She blinked at him, sorrowful, before taking off, leaving Pebbleclaw confused and angry. Angry at himself.

He stood there, stone-still, for some time after she left before he finally moved.

"Ugh! You _idiot_!" Pebbleclaw slammed his claws against a nearby oak tree, raking them down with such vengeance that the bark was almost shredded. "One good friend in another clan and suddenly you think you think you have the power to talk to anybody? To help them? To make them like you?" The tabby tom's temper was raging, a miniature hurricane that turned him into a violent, destructive machine. "Stupid, stupid rabbit-brain! Fox-pelt! Flea-bag!"

He slammed his head against the tree, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Idiotic mouse-heart!"

Pebbleclaw collapsed against the base of the tree, panting. His claws were sore and one was almost torn out. Blood, the sweet, metallic life of the battlefield, trickled down his leg from when he had rammed himself into the tree.

But this wasn't the battlefield, was it? Groaning, he picked himself up and hobbled back to camp with the vole in his jaws, wondering what he was supposed to tell the medicine cat. He couldn't very well go and say, "I attacked a really tough oak tree and got into a skirmish with a ThunderClan patrol." Ears tingling with shame, he padded into the WindClan camp and headed straight for the medicine cat, head hung low.

Thankfully, he didn't have to come up with an excuse as to why he was scratched and bleeding. The medicine cat, Berryfrost, provided a perfect one while treating him.

"Got stuck in a thornbush, did you, Pebbleclaw?" the cream she-cat meowed cheerfully. The brown tabby nodded guiltily. "Those scratches should take a couple days to fully recover," she continued. "But that torn claw... maybe half a moon?" She squinted. "Dunno. It depends. But take it easy, alright?"

Pebbleclaw nodded numbly as Berryfrost wrapped his claw with foul-smelling herbs and shooed him out. As soon as he stepped into the camp, covered with cobwebs and marigold, several of his nearby clanmates shrunk back. He ignored it and walked to the fresh-kill pile, bumping into one of the new apprentices on the way.

"O-oh! Pebbleclaw!" Sagepaw squealed, eyes wide with fright, obviously expecting for the warrior to lose his temper and attack him. "I'm sorry! I'm so s-sorry! I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, Sagepaw," Pebbleclaw replied wearily. "It was an accident."

"Of.. of course!" Sagepaw slunk away into the apprentice's den, whispering quickly to his sister, Goldenpaw. She narrowed her eyes at Pebbleclaw and hissed at him. The tom sighed, trying to ignore her hateful glare.

Pebbleclaw ate the vole that he had caught earlier and settled down next to Gorsefoot. It was the only place that he was welcome in the clan. His younger brother was going on, clearly excited about something, but Pebbleclaw wasn't listening. He closed his eyes and lay down.

 _Just four more days until you can meet with Stormpaw, Pebbleclaw. You can do this._

 **Soo... now you meet Amberwing! She's one of my favorite characters in this story so far hehe :P You'll learn more about her later. Also, I wanted to show how Pebbleclaw's clanmates interact with him. It's not going to be his perspective for all the chapters, by the way. As always, be sure to leave some feedback! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Peace out - Infinite**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I would have updated earlier, but I wanted to put review replies and the reviews were glitching and not showing up :P Plus, I wanted to add some stuff. Review replies:**

 **PerfectlyClearly: Aah, cool ;w; and thank you! c:**

 **Dewmist: haha yeah, I think people (and maybe cats?) tend to focus on the bad stuff in general rather than the good things. And thanks! :D**

 **Willowdream of ForestClan: Thank you so much!**

 **ALSO, BE WARNED. THIS CHAPTER MENTIONS ABUSE. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.**

Water clung to Stormpaw's whiskers in icy cold droplets, her fur stiff and freezing to the touch. Of course, the very night that she planned to sneak out happened to be the coldest and rainiest of the season.

The RiverClan apprentice shook herself back and forth, sending a spray of water across the camp. Most of it landed on Mistyfang, a senior warrior, who lifted her head up from her fresh-kill and started peeling her lips back into a snarl before seeing who the water came from. Instantly, she shrunk back, looking slightly guilty. Stormpaw let out a huff of exasperation and rolled her eyes. Warriors in the camp couldn't even get angry at her normally, all because of her stupid disease.

The rain, which had at first been just an annoying drizzle, suddenly grew heavy enough to be considered a downpour. Stormpaw let out a cry of surprise as the rain hammered against her pelt, soaking her down to the bones and turning her into a lump of ice. She quickly ducked into the medicine cat den, which was the one closest to her, and was immediately surrounded by the familiar musty scent of herbs.

Twigwhisker was sitting in the corner, back facing the entrance as she sorted some herbs. Upon hearing Stormpaw's friendly but shaky meow of greeting, however, she turned.

"Oh, Stormpaw! Hello! What were you doing out in the rain? You could've caught a bad cold, you know." The tortoiseshell medicine cat fretted over the gray apprentice, ushering her to the back of the den before cloaking her shoulders and chest with moss. "That was extremely irresponsible, Stormpaw. You know that dampness and cold don't go well with your illness. They'll just make you sicker and sicker."

Despite it all, Stormpaw couldn't help but let out a _mrow_ of amusement. "Twigwhisker, stop. I'm fine." _It's nice knowing that I have somebody looking out for me, though,_ she added silently. Her parents, upon hearing of her terminal illness, had distanced themselves from her to avoid being entirely brokenhearted when she died.

"Oh, I know. It's just that I care about you." Twigwhisker gave Stormpaw's ears a few motherly licks before sitting down, looking at the apprentice fondly. "I just wouldn't be able to bear it if you died, all because of a night out in the rain."

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Stormpaw purred, heat flushing to her cheeks. "Um, I'll have to go out a bit again, though."

"What?" Twigwhisker stared at her, astounded. "Are you delirious?" She pressed a tortoiseshell paw against Stormpaw's forehead and sniffed her nose, wrapping her body around Stormpaw's. "You seem okay. But why do you want to go out? It's pouring! And you haven't taken the daily herbs for your illness yet."

"It's just... just some personal business. It's nothing. I have to check on some stuff, and the medicine can wait until later." Stormpaw winced inwardly at the lie and swore to herself that she would make it up to Twigwhisker later. Somehow. "I'll be back soon. Promise."

The tortoiseshell she-cat narrowed her eyes, suspicious. There was a long, awkward pause before Twigwhisker finally dipped her head. "Alright."

Stormpaw struggled to hide her smile. "It'll only take a little while," she said, wriggling out of Twigwhisker's grip and backing out of the den, into the rain. The medicine cat nodded, turning away and going back to sorting her herbs.

The gray apprentice winced as she fully emerged from the den. The water was like a million tiny claws being hurled at her, digging into her pelt and chilling her bones. Stormpaw slunk forward, hiding under the trees, as she exited the camp.

The guard at the exit was Whiterose; friendly but absentminded. Always a bit slow. Stormpaw mumbled some excuse about taking a walk in the rain and the white she-cat nodded enthusiastically, though her gaze was blank and spacey as always.

Once out of the camp, Stormpaw dashed through the marshy plains and weeping willows, heading straight for the Island. As she approached it, though, she began to have second thoughts. What if Pebbleclaw couldn't make it through all the rain, or worse, turned out to be a dangerous tom who only wanted to meet up alone to... to... She couldn't finish the thought.

 _I trust Pebbleclaw._

 _I have to._

She skidded to a halt as she approached the tree-bridge, panting, her sweat mixing with the cold rain and sending tingles up her body. Stormpaw hesitantly stepped onto the bridge and almost fell off, her paws slipping to the side so that she had to dig her claws into the bark to avoid dropping into the water. Though she was a RiverClan cat, she didn't relish the idea of swimming through the pounding surf and pouring rain. She narrowed her eyes, squinting to make out the vague outline of the Island against the inky night.

Stormpaw bunched her muscles and jumped, unable to see where she was going.

Her forepaws hit the rocky shore of the Island before slipping back, her body dropping into the water. Her muscles screamed as Stormpaw struggled to get back onto land. The tide was almost too strong; it sucked her into the water, a sharp, vicious tug, before spitting her back out so that her body scraped against the sand. Being a RiverClan warrior made almost no difference to her in these tough waters. Her disease, which attacked her heart and lungs, made her unable to exert herself for too long, and she was soon exhausted.

The apprentice gasped as a particularly strong wave pushed her forward. She seized the chance and flopped onto the shore, her body numb and covered in shallow scrapes.

Stormpaw cursed herself. A RiverClan cat almost beaten by a couple strong waves! She continued to mutter curses and swears under her breath as she struggled to get into the shelter of the trees. Lightning momentarily lit up the sky, illuminating the oak tree and... and the lone figure of a cat sitting on the roots, eyes gleaming. A loud clap of thunder made her jump as she half-walked, half-crawled to the tree.

"Pebbleclaw!" she wheezed, her lungs suddenly constricting in her chest from her overexertion earlier. "Is that you?"

The figure turned and saw her as another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. "Stormpaw!" The voice was faint and far-away, but it was definitely him. "What are you- do you need help?" Pebbleclaw jumped down from the roots and padded towards her.

"N-no!" she spluttered. "Of course not! Wait there!" Stormpaw somehow managed to struggle her way over to the battle-scarred tom, coughing and gasping for air.

"Stormpaw, are you okay? What-" Pebbleclaw's eyes darkened. "It's your disease, isn't it?"

"Y-yes," Stormpaw wheezed, cursing herself yet again for refusing to take her daily herbs in Twigwhisker's den earlier. "I'm fine, though. Just a little... I'm okay. Don't worry."

"Alright," Pebbleclaw said hesitantly. "So, um, what do you want to talk about?"

"Erm..." Stormpaw shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I didn't really plan this far." She fiddled with her paws uncomfortably.

"We don't have to talk then," Pebbleclaw suggested. "We can just sit together and... listen. To the rain, I mean."

"Sure."

The awkwardness in the air was almost too much for Stormpaw to bear. Impulsively, she leaned into Pebbleclaw, shoving her side against his. The tom stiffened at first, but then relaxed, sinking into the position. They stayed like that for a while, just listening to the rain and watching the darkness.

More lightning illuminated the Island, and for a moment, Stormpaw was sure she had seen a feline figure. Then she shook her head, dismissing it as something made up in her head. But then she realized that, yes, something _was_ moving across the tree-bridge. She tensed up, holding her breath.

"What's wrong?" Pebbleclaw murmured, eyes wary.

Stormpaw got up and squinted into the darkness. "There's somebody there," she said. A distinctly feline figure was staggering towards them, and the rich, musky scent of forest and soil flooded Stormpaw.

"ThunderClan," Pebbleclaw whispered, tensing his muscles. "What-?"

"I don't know."

The cat came into view, and now Stormpaw could see them clearly. A she-cat, her amber fur sopping wet, the delicate tabby stripes and spirals of her pelt mashed into one indescribable mess in the rain. She was staggering in their direction, wobbling back and forth on shaky legs.

Stormpaw stepped forward hesitantly. "Hello?" she asked. "Who are you- mmf!" She let out a muffled shriek as Pebbleclaw slapped his tail in front of her mouth and dragged her into some nearby bushes.

Once inside the leafy bushes, Pebbleclaw let go of her. Stormpaw glared at him, swiping her tongue around her jaws and spitting out fur.

"What was that for?" she hissed. "Why did-"

"Shh." Pebbleclaw looked at her, eyes even more solemn than usual. "If the she-cat sees us... the rain won't do too much to hide our different clan scents, or the fact that we're meeting in secret. She'll be suspicious. Maybe report it to our clan leaders." He slid his claws out and lashed his tail, clearly agitated. "Oh, StarClan," he moaned. "Why did I ever agree to this? We'll be exiled!"

Stormpaw rested a paw on his shoulder. "It'll be okay," she whispered. "The cat, whoever they are, won't find us, and they won't know who we are, anyway. We'll be-" She quickly broke off as she heard the extremely nearby sound of claws clicking against stone.

Pebbleclaw looked at her, eyes narrowed, clearly regretting his decision to break the Warrior Code. _She's by the rocks,_ he mouthed, fear and anticipation in his gaze. Stormpaw rolled her eyes, not even needing to mouth the words for the message to get across. _Duh!_

The bushes were suddenly pulled apart. Stormpaw gasped as the ginger she-cat thrust her head into the bushes. She scrabbled back, bumping into Pebbleclaw, whose claws poked into her pelt.

"W-who are you?" The strange she-cat's voice was entirely different from what Stormpaw had expected; instead of being the low, gravelly voice she had presumed would belong to a warrior out all by herself on such a night, it was high, shaky, and sweet, like a delicate rosebud just about to bloom.

Before Stormpaw could respond, Pebbleclaw shouldered his way to the front of the bush. "Amberwing?" he said, clearly astonished.

The ginger she-cat, Amberwing, blinked her watery blue eyes. "You!" she gasped. "You're... you're the tom..."

Pebbleclaw dipped his head. "Pebbleclaw at your service," he murmured, avoiding her gaze. "What are you doing here?"

Amberwing looked down at her paws, fidgeting with a broken piece of grass. "I was, erm, taking a midnight walk," she mumbled. "And I-"

"Wait. Hold up." Stormpaw raised her tail, narrowing her eyes at Amberwing. "You're ThunderClan! To get here to the Island, that means you walked through WindClan territory."

"...Well..." Amberwing sighed, turning her body slightly so that only one side of her was visible. "Yes. I went through WindClan territory. I'm sorry," she added, finally lifting her gaze from her paws to look at Pebbleclaw. "But I couldn't sleep... and it was a one-time, impulsive type of thing. My clanmates didn't even notice when I left. The rain washed away all traces and-"

"No," Stormpaw interrupted again. "This isn't your first time doing this, is it?" Her eyes were clouded with suspicion. "You don't strike me as the kind of cat to take such a risk and pass through WindClan territory just to come here. No." Her eyes met Amberwing's. "You planned this out. How often do you sneak out a moon?"

Amberwing hesitated, her eyes filled with guilt and fear. "A-Alright," she said. "I take midnight walks every third day." Pebbleclaw had to stifle a gasp. "Terrible of me, I know. But it's become sort of a habit. Besides," she added, some of the self-doubt in her eyes suddenly replaced by a twinkle of pride, "I'm good at hiding away and shutting up."

Stormpaw sensed that there was something significant about the sentence, but brushed it off. She opened her mouth to say something, but Pebbleclaw gave her a fierce look and she closed it again.

"What were you saying before about what you were doing here?" Pebbleclaw asked.

"I don't usually go onto the Island itself," confessed Amberwing. "Mostly I just stay behind and look at it, especially if it's rainy and the tree-bridge is s-slippery." Stormpaw winced, remembering her own battle with the water and the bridge. "But tonight I saw two figures on the Island, and was afraid that they were lost, cold rogues. I... I only wanted to help." She turned, accidentally revealing the side of her face she'd kept hidden for the entire conversation.

Stormpaw gasped and shrunk back. A nasty gash, still dripping blood, ran from the bottom of Amberwing's eye to her chin, a three-pronged claw mark that would no doubt take a long, painful moon to heal. At least.

"Wh-what?" asked Amberwing nervously.

"Who did that to you?" growled Pebbleclaw, jabbing his tail at her scratch. Amberwing's eyes widened in horror and she turned again.

"What... what are you talking about?" She gave a nervous laugh. "I don't... it's nothing. A skirmish with a f-fox."

"Those scratches are too neat and precise to have been done by a fox," Stormpaw pointed out. Amberwing flattened her ears against her head.

"Fine. I'll... tell you. Please don't think p-poorly of me." Amberwing took a deep breath, and Stormpaw could have sworn that she saw a few glittering tears in the corners of her eyes. "I... it was my mate. Kestreltail. He-he wanted... kits..." The ginger tabby burst into tears, fat crystals dripping down her cheeks and mingling with the blood of her wound. "We tried so, so hard, but each time, the medicine cat would say that it hadn't worked. There were no kits. And-and-" She turned away, a small puddle of reddish-clear water at her feet.

Stormpaw would've liked to comfort her and say that it was perfectly fine, that there was no need to go on if it was making her upset, but... the truth was, Stormpaw, like most cats, had the deep desire for dark, dirty secrets.

"And after that?" Stormpaw prodded her.

"Each time that happened, Kestreltail w-would scratch me and tell me it was all my fault that there were no kits." She gestured towards her faintly scarred shoulders and at the clawmark scars on her paws. Stormpaw and Pebbleclaw both let out faint gasps. "A-and then..." Amberwing gulped. "Then, this very morning, the medicine cat took me into her den. She was quiet and gentle. Too... gentle. That was where she told me a-about me being..." The she-cat started sobbing. "She told me I was infertile, that I would never have kits. Ever."

"Oh..." Stormpaw winced. "That really sucks."

"That's an understatement," Pebbleclaw growled under his breath. "I'm so sorry," he added, looking at Amberwing.

"N-no. Don't be sorry." Amberwing shook her head fiercely. "I never wanted kits. It was all Kestreltail's idea. A-and I was afraid that.. if I did have them, my poor kits would have to deal with that m-monster of a tom for a father." She looked at them earnestly, pain clouding her gaze. "In a way, it was a blessing from StarClan. But when I told Kestreltail, he got r-really angry. He attacked and scratched me on my face. It was the f-first time he'd clawed me there before. He always made sure to do it in somewhere that it wouldn't be too noticeable."

"Didn't your clanmates notice?" Stormpaw asked, surprised, as Pebbleclaw stretched forward to nuzzle and comfort Amberwing. "I mean, surely they couldn't think that you kept accidentally hurting yourself or something."

"They did," said Amberwing quietly, "but either they didn't care or they were afraid to approach me. Having a mate like Kestreltail... it really marks you different, doesn't it? Suddenly, everybody is awkward around you. They don't know what to say, for fear of slipping up about it all and ruining everything."

"That's exactly how I feel," remarked Stormpaw, eyes widening.

"I can relate," Pebbleclaw agreed quietly.

Amberwing gave them a weak smile. _This she-cat is braver than she would at first seem,_ Stormpaw realized. _She smiles, even as her darkest secrets are revealed and her life is crumbling on the inside._

"My clanmates taunt me," Amberwing said. "They h-hide behind the excuse that it's because I'm soft-hearted kittypet. Not so." Stormpaw had to bite down on her tongue to keep from yowling her outrage. How dare they tease this kind, sensitive _warrior_?

"Please... don't tell my mate I t-told you about this," Amberwing added quickly, her eyes darkening with fear. "He'd kill me. He would. He made me promise to never tell anybody."

"Of course not!" Stormpaw replied immediately. Pebbleclaw nodded. "But Kestreltail sounds like a fox-heart. Why don't you just leave him?"

"No. I can't," Amberwing sighed ruefully. "It's stupid of me, I know... but even after all these moons of torture, I still believe he loves me, in his own way. I don't- I don't want him to stop loving me."

"That's... not good," said Stormpaw.

"Yep."

"I know... but... I can't... thank you for listening to me anyway." Amberwing nuzzled both of them. "And I'm fine with the scratches. Really."

"Uh huh." Stormpaw tilted her head to the side.

Amberwing flustered, stammered out, "The sun's s-starting to rise. We've b-been here all night. I should g-go. Thank you." With a start, Stormpaw realized that her words were true.

"Fish guts!" Stormpaw muttered. "I've been gone all night."

"Same," Pebbleclaw hissed. "I should get going. My clan will be suspicious. Goodbye!" His last few words were a blur as he dashed out of the bush. Stormpaw and Amberwing stared at each other for a moment, smiling slightly, before parting ways.

 **Hi! Thanks for making it to the end, haha. I have a question: what are the characters to you? I mean, what are their personalities like to you? This is just to see if they match up with how I'm trying to write them :3 As always, feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated! Peace out - Infinite**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update earlier; school has been pretty crazy recently, especially with our finals drawing closer!**

 **Review replies:**

 **PerfectlyClearly: Haha, yeah xD Thank you! I should probably practice writing transitions more, and the rain had mostly stopped by the time they finished talking!**

 **Willowdream of ForestClan: Thank you so much! c:**

 **Twinkle Legacy: Thank you for both your compliment and the feedback on the characters!**

 **Dewmist: Me too, actually xD I definitely will!**

 **guest: Wow, thank you so much! :o That means a lot to me, both your thoughtful comment and your feedback on the chatracters!**

 **(I feel like I use exclamation marks _waaaay_ too much xD - also this emoticon. /shrug/ oh well!)**

"No, no, no! You're doing it all wrong!" Yellowstripe gnashed his teeth in frustration as his apprentice failed to dodge his blow in time. "Again!" he demanded, lashing his tail. "And faster this time!"

Stormpaw hissed as her mentor sprang at her again, and she scrabbled back, panting. Yellowstripe's paw still managed to clout her over the ear, however.

"You have to be _faster_ ," Yellowstripe growled. "Do it again! And after this, you're running around the camp twice!" He jumped, catching Stormpaw by surprise as he bowled her over into one of the trees of the Training Hollow, hind legs pummeling her stomach.

"Y-Yellowstripe," Stormpaw gasped. "It's almost sundown. We've been training for almost the entire-"

"Did I hear you complaining?" Yellowstripe narrowed his eyes at her. "You know what happens when _my_ apprentice complains."

Stormpaw winced as she remembered a day where she'd whined about hunting from sunrise until sunhigh. Yellowstripe had her running around the camp over and over until she'd gotten so exhausted that she passed out, right in the middle of camp. "No, Yellowstripe."

And if she'd said just that, that would've been it. If she'd just kept her temper in check, she would have been safe.

But she couldn't help it. "I think you need to get your ears checked. After all, you're clearly mishearing me," she added.

The golden-and-white tom glared at her, ears pressed flat against his head. "Alright, I've had enough of you!" he hissed. "You're going on the border patrol this evening, _and_ we're having extra training practice tomorrow! Is that understood?"

"Whatever you say." Stormpaw rolled her eyes, though she was inwardly groaning at the prospect of patrols and more training.

* * *

The evening was hot and humid. Stormpaw lifted her muzzle to the air, sighing.

"Rain's coming soon," Twigwhisker murmured, stealing a glance at the apprentice. "Are you sure you have to go out on patrol tonight? I could talk to Yellowstripe, convince him to put you on patrol tomorrow."

"I'm fine," Stormpaw said stiffly. She watched as her mentor organized the evening patrols, all while shooting her an icy glare. "Now, if you could talk to Mallowstar and convince him to change my mentor-"

"Stormpaw!" Twigwhisker gasped, affronted. "Yellowstripe is a good mentor! He's taught you so many skills, and besides, he's the clan deputy. Isn't it an honor to have him for a mentor?"

"...I guess." The gray she-cat stared moodily out at the camp, her muscles tense. "I should go. _Yellowstripe_ needs me on the patrol."

"Stormpaw-"

But she'd already left the medicine cat den. Twigwhisker sighed, shaking her head as she watched Stormpaw stalk over to where the deputy was organizing his patrols.

"Glad to see you could join us, Stormpaw," Yellowstripe said coldly. "You're on the evening patrol with Tansyfrost, Blackfeather, and me."

"You're on the patrol too?" Stormpaw asked, feeling her heart drop. She was hoping to spend some time away from her mentor to cool down from their argument earlier. "But-"

"Let's go." Yellowstripe lifted his tail up, and Stormpaw and the other warriors chosen for the patrol followed him as he left the camp.

The earth underfoot was moist, soft, and squishy, and Stormpaw shuddered each time she took a step. It felt like she was walking on a pile of worms or maybe even fresh-kill. All the birds were silent, and Stormpaw didn't even hear the grasshoppers that were always chirping away, especially on a warm evening like this. It placed a strange, uneasy doubt in her chest. One might even call it fear. A terrible premonition that something bad was going to happen.

As they began to approach the ShadowClan border, however, Stormpaw dismissed it as something silly. _Don't be such a kit,_ she scolded herself. _All the animals are hiding from the rain. We're the only ones fish-brained enough to be out here right before a storm!_

Her thoughts were interrupted as Yellowstripe held up his tail and halted. Stormpaw stumbled at the sudden stop and crashed into Blackfeather, who turned around and let out an annoyed hiss.

"Quiet," Yellowstripe murmured, his eyes alert. "There's somebody... over there! ShadowClan cats!" The tom flattened himself against the ground and slid forward, barely making a sound. The rest of the patrol followed suite, sliding along the dirt towards the other cats.

Stormpaw blinked as the scent of ShadowClan momentarily overwhelmed her. She made a face and held her breath against the strong, pines-and-earth smell of the other clan.

There were two of them. Both toms. One was a brown tabby who looked to be slightly older than Stormpaw, and the other was gray with patchy fur and scarred shoulders. Both were over the border, stalking a pair of mice.

Anger welled up within Stormpaw. "They're hunting over the border!" she whispered fiercely. Yellowstripe covered her mouth with his tail, staring intently at the two warriors.

The gray one pounced and caught both of the mice at the same time, his paws slamming down and breaking their backs. There was a faint squeak of pain and then nothing, as the warrior let out a satisfied purr.

At this, Tansyfrost sprang forward. "What are you _doing_?" she snarled, . The two warriors froze, caught in the act with guilty expressions. "That's our prey!"

"Well, it shouldn't be," the gray tomcat sniffed. "This area of land should belong to ShadowClan."

Blackfeather stepped in. "But as of right now, it's RiverClan territory." She shot a look back over her shoulder at Yellowstripe, who nodded at her to go on. "You need to get out of here," she continued. "And leave your prey here, too."

"What a joke," the gray tom snickered. "Come on, Bramblepelt. Care to put your opinion in and dumb down the whole conversation for this she-cat?"

"Of course I would!" The brown tabby, Bramblepelt puffed out his scrawny chest and took a step forward. "RiverClan patrol! We were hunting on your territory, yes, but... but!"

The gray tom rolled his eyes. "Yes?"

"But! We... deserve to!"

"Go on." The gray tom seemed to be amused.

"ShadowClan-"

"Alright, cut it out," Yellowstripe snarled, his fur bushed out. "Enough funny stuff. You were hunting across the border, and that's that. Either leave peacefully, or leave by force."

Bramblepelt started to respond, but then light suddenly seemed to illuminate the entire clearing. Stormpaw gasped and stepped back, squeezing her eyes together against the harsh brightness.

"W-what's going on?" Blackfeather asked, a tremor in her voice. "Did-"

"Twolegs!" It was the gray tom's voice this time, filled with horror and fear. "Run!"

Stormpaw opened one eye. Indeed, there was a twoleg standing there, holding a thin stick that somehow seemed to be the source of all the light. It meowed as it saw all of the cats, and lurched forward towards Yellowstripe.

The deputy hissed and backed away. The twoleg kneeled down and swiped at him. Yellowstripe growled and lashed out, leaving a thin pink scratch down the twoleg's arms. It yowled in pain and dropped the stick.

However, it continued on. The twoleg walked forward, towards Bramblepelt, who was quivering in fear.

"D-don't hurt me!" he yowled. "I know you don't want to! I'm... you don't want to! Please..." His whimpers died away as the twoleg picked him up.

"N-no! Please! No!"

The twoleg was taking out something long and thin, with a sharp, claw-like point at the edge. It appeared to be filled with a clear fluid. Bramblepelt was still begging for mercy as the twoleg jammed the point into him.

Bramblepelt yelped in pain, and instantly his frantic, scared movements slowed. His head dropped to the side, and within moments he was unconscious.

All the cats had watched on in horror up until this point, too terrified to move. But it was like Bramblepelt's unconsciousness triggered some invisible switch inside them. All the cats fled, running into the bushes and the trees.

The twoleg yowled and moved forward. Stormpaw gasped and ran, her paws throwing up bits of dirt and grass as she headed into RiverClan territory. Her heart thumped against her chest and her lungs suddenly constricted, her body telling her to slow down, to stop and take a break.

But she couldn't. She couldn't just stop and let the twoleg take her and... and... Pain shot through her body and Stormpaw stumbled, gasping for breath.

"N-no..." she mumbled.

"Stormpaw!"

The apprentice's head shot up. "Yellowstripe?"

"Stormpaw, run!" Yellowstripe crashed into her, pushing her forward, and the sound of twoleg feet crunching on twigs was near. Too near. "Get up! It's right behind us!"

She wheezed, getting to her paws and attempting a jog. After the mad dash she had just been through, however, her body was worn out. "Can't. Go.. on."

"No! You have to! Get up!" The golden-and-white tom grabbed Stormpaw's scruff, dragging her behind him as he moved in an awkward, slow gait.

"I'm slowing you down," Stormpaw said, her heart still hammering against her chest. "You-"

"No. I'm not leaving you behind; you're my clanmate and my apprentice!" Yellowstripe's voice suddenly hardened. "Now get up and _run_!"

Stormpaw struggled to her feet and limped forward, but her lungs and heart weren't cooperating and soon she couldn't breathe. "T-Twigwhisker," Stormpaw whispered.

"No herbs, Stormpaw. Go, and that's an order!"

"I can't move, fish-brain!" Stormpaw exploded suddenly. "I can't! I'm slowing you down and you have to go without me, or-"

"Stormpaw, no." Yellowstripe was about to say more, but then the frenzied yowls of the twoleg were heard and he dropped into a defensive stance. "It's here."

"Yellowstripe-"

"I'm staying right here, Stormpaw! I can't leave my clanmate!" Yellowstripe lashed his tail as the twoleg appeared, waving around the light-stick. It spotted the two cats and bent down, arms extended. Yellowstripe snarled and lunged forward.

The tom barreled into the twoleg, pushing it down onto its behind. Yellowstripe hissed and scratched its arm.

The twoleg screamed in pain and grabbed Yellowstripe, who was spitting with rage. The tom landed another blow, this time on the twoleg's face. It fell back and groaned, arms instinctively lashing out. The light-stick hit Yellowstripe's head. Hard. Stormpaw watched in horror as her mentor went limp, blood trickling from where the light-stick had struck him.

"Yellowstripe!" Stormpaw cried, panic welling up in her chest at the sight of her unconscious mentor. "No!"

The twoleg heard her meows and turned, Yellowstripe held roughly against its chest with his head lolling forward. Stormpaw shrunk back at first, but then an image came to her mind: Yellowstripe snarling and swiping at the twoleg defiantly, a twisting golden blur as he fought to protect his clanmate.

Rage bubbled up in Stormpaw's heart, spilling forth in an angry fire. She screeched and jumped, landing on the twoleg's knee. It yowled and tried to shake her off, but Stormpaw held on, claws sinking into skin. She clambered up its side, hissing. Thunder rumbled in the distance and rain began to fall from the skies, distracting the twoleg and further giving the RiverClan apprentice an advantage.

For a moment, Stormpaw felt like she was winning. Her adversary was bleeding, wet, and yelping in pain; she herself was unharmed and ready to roll.

But then the twoleg grabbed her neck and raised its furless paw. The stick with the claw-like point at the end glinted in the moonlight, the liquid inside shaking gently back and forth.

"No!" Stormpaw squirmed around and tried to escape from its grip, but the twoleg was strong. The point was plunged into her body, and Stormpaw screamed in pain as the twoleg yanked it back out, squeezing her neck with a vengeance. There was a hot, fiery flash of pain, and then the world started spinning around, drops of rain splattering onto her fur, before it all condensed into one dark hell-hole of nothingness.

 **Sorrynotsorry. Really though... As always, thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is always appreciated~ Peace out! - Infinite**


	5. Chapter 5

**Aaah! Sorry! I haven't updated in about two weeks hhh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to keep you waiting for so long D: Between school, extra activities, and other random crap, I haven't been able to write on this website very much ;v; also I can't type today, I made like five mistakes in that last sentence before fixing them lol. _Anyway,_ onto review replies!**

 **Willowdream of ForestClan: haha, cool!**

 **PerfectlyClearly: eeee thank you aah 3 also for your pm! You'll just have to see about Stormpaw :3 The Dandelion Club isn't "official" yet. And you'll see! Thanks for the feedback!**

 **Smokestar: thank you so much!**

 **guest: thank you! Yes, all will be revealed... but maybe not in this chapter, haha ;D**

"Stormpaw! Get up! _Now_!"

"I don't wanna go on dawn patrol, Yellowstripe." Stormpaw turned over sleepily, snuggling against the soft, velvety material beneath her. "I just... wanna..."

" _Stormpaw_!"

The RiverClan apprentice was jabbed sharply between the ribs and she let out a yelp, snapping her eyes open and scrabbling to her paws. It was still dark, and her fur prickled with annoyance. "Why are you waking me up for dawn patrol _now_ , Yellowstripe?" she hissed. "It's barely-"

She stopped, the memories from the night before flooding into her head. Her eyes widened as she relived the chase, the fury, and then finally the nothingness. Anger bushed her fur up before she told herself to calm down and relax.

Stormpaw's eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness and she realized that she was in a cage. Yellowstripe was also in one that was right next to her. There were three more cages, and although she could barely see them their scents told her that the cats in them were Tansyfrost, Bramblepelt, and the gray ShadowClan tom.

"Where are we?" she muttered. "Yellowstripe?"

"A monster, I think. Can you feel the ground moving beneath you? Always analyze your surroundings, Stormpaw." Yellowstripe's mentor mode was kicking in. "When you find yourself in a new or unfamiliar place, look around and notice everything. You never know-"

"You never know when it might just save your life," Stormpaw sighed, getting to her paws. Her ears whacked against the top of the cage and she winced, ducking back down. "StarClan, this place is small!"

"You're just going to have to get used to it, I guess," Yellowstripe replied, narrowing his eyes. "I've been awake for a while now, and we still haven't gotten to wherever this monster is taking us. Stupid twolegs. Always-" He broke off, apparently to angry to go on. Then he let out a sigh. "Stormpaw, I told you to run."

"What? You mean last night?" Stormpaw was astounded. "You're bringing that up _now_?"

"Stormpaw, when I give you an order, I expect you to obey it," Yellowstripe snapped. "I'm your mentor. If you'd just listened-"

"Yellowstripe!" Stormpaw exploded. "This isn't exactly the ideal time for that right now. We're stuck in a monster going to StarClan knows where and we're probably going to die when we get there." She took a deep, rattling breath.

Yellowstripe's fur flattened. "You're right. Sorry. We can't- fish guts! I don't know what to do! I'm your mentor!" In his desperation, the golden tom was starting to shred the velvety blanket underneath him. "I'm supposed to protect you!" he wailed. "But instead, we both got caught!"

"Yellowstripe, calm down," Stormpaw said helplessly, her anger dissipating. The monster swerved to one side and she slammed against the cage. "It's not your fault!"

"Yes it is! I hate it all!"

"Hate what?"

The voice was slick and easygoing- no doubt it belonged to the gray ShadowClan tom. Stormpaw whipped her head around, fur bristling from both disgust and surprise.

"Nothing," she spat, her voice venomous.

"Really? Yellowstripe over here sounded like he was pretty intense about something."

"No! Go away!" Stormpaw curled into a ball, wishing desperately to be back at camp, chatting with Twigwhisker over a meal of trout.

"Sweetheart, in case you haven't noticed, I can't exactly 'go away'," the tom noted dryly.

Stormpaw opened her mouth to respond, but Yellowstripe beat her to it. "Cut it out, you two," he meowed. "Especially you, Stormpaw, since you're my apprentice. I expect better behavior from you!"

"Oh, so the _great_ Yellowstripe is busy settling disputes and lecturing his apprentice about behavior." The gray tom's voice was mocking. "Just a minute ago, you were crying like a kit because you didn't fulfill your duty."

"That's it!" Stormpaw jumped up, almost hitting her head against the roof of the cage. "Shut up, you-you lizard-eating fox-heart."

"I do have a name, you know," the tom replied. "It's Breezewhisker."

"Do you think I care?" Stormpaw snapped. "Just shut up! We don't have time to argue! We're probably all going to die very, very soon, and the only way we even have a chance of preventing that from happening is if we work together as a team!"

"You've been listening to a few too many nursery tales, sweetheart," Breezewhisker replied smoothly. "You really expect us to cooperate? You really think we have a shot at getting a happy ending? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not going to happen." Stormpaw could just barely make his figure out as he yawned and stretched. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I don't really care if I make it out alive or not, and I feel about the same with you."

"Well... well..." Stormpaw stammered, flustered. She was, for once, glad for the darkness. Otherwise, she was sure that the other cats would have been able to see her blush. "Do you care about anything at all...? What about your clanmate there?" She waved her tail at the cage next to Breezewhisker, which held the still-sleeping Bramblepelt.

Breezewhisker was silent for a moment. Finally, he replied, "You're a nosy one, aren't you, _sweetheart_?"

"Don't call me that."

" _Sweetheart_ , you sound upset."

"Stop it!"

"Stormpaw!" Yellowstripe's voice was a throaty growl. "Quiet! I thought I already told you to be respectful."

"The mange-pelt over here isn't being very nice either," Stormpaw pointed out, lashing her tail.

"Sweetheart, you need to calm down."

"Breezewhisker, when we get out of this stupid monster, I'm going to kill you," Stormpaw snarled, her gray fur spiking up.

"Here's your chance, Stormpaw," Yellowstripe replied, flicking his ear. "The monster's stopped."

Stormpaw had been so busy bickering with Breezewhisker that she hadn't noticed that the rumbling noise had stopped and that they weren't moving anymore. A strange uneasiness settled itself in the apprentice's gut, turning her insides to mush.

The back side of the monster opened, revealing a harsh, glaring sunlight and the twoleg silhouetted in front of it. It meowed and reached forward, furless tan paws grasping Stormpaw's cage.

The RiverClan apprentice let out a shriek of surprise as she was lifted into the air. The twoleg grinned at her, and Stormpaw shuddered at the sight of those rectangular white teeth. _Eugh!_

"Stormpaw!" Yellowstripe yelled from inside the monster, his expression frantic. "Run! Fight! Do something!"

"I can't!" Stormpaw called back, her paws scrabbling against the cage as the twoleg started to walk away. "Y-Yellowstripe!" The twoleg was walking faster. Stormpaw could now see where it was taking her: a huge twoleg den, covered in stone and brick. "Help! Yellowstri-"

She never finished her sentence. The twoleg roughly pushed through a door and into the den, shaking her cage hard as it did so.

"Yellowstripe," she whispered, fear rushing through her body. Her heart was starting to beat like rain on the forest, faster and faster until the apprentice was dizzy and weak. She banged her paws against the metal bars of the cage. In retaliation, the twoleg banged against the cage. Hard. Stormpaw was thrown to the floor of the cage, gasping.

The twoleg set her down on the ground and left the den. Stormpaw had to stifle a scream; from down there, everything looked big and new and dangerous. There were brightly-colored lumps in one corner, a black box in another, and countless cages and bags of kittypet food were strewn everywhere. The floor looked like wood, but it certainly wasn't any wood that Stormpaw knew; this stuff was impeccably glossy and was set in little rows. The walls were a pale lilac and were covered with rectangles filled with colored squiggles.

"StarClan. Oh StarClan. Why-?" The RiverClanner paced in her small cage, ears pressed flat against her head. "Why am I here? Why _me_ , StarClan?" She was full-out wailing now, and lashing her tail back and forth. The walls seemed to press in on her, the strange colors and shapes mocking her and laughing at her until she couldn't take it anymore. Stormpaw was curled up in a ball now, paws hiding her eyes and she continued to sob. "S-StarClan help me!"

A sudden crash and a flurry of outraged yowls interrupted her train of thought. Stormpaw looked up to see the same twoleg holding a cage a tail-length away from his body. Breezewhisker was inside, a miniature hurricane of claws and bristling fur. The tom was hurling himself against the cage repeatedly. In response, the twoleg hit the cage, but shrunk back immediately afterwards. With some satisfaction, Stormpaw noted that the twoleg had pink scratches up and down its arms.

It dropped the cage on the floor and took off. Breezewhisker was thrown onto his back as the cage hit the floor from the height, hissing and snarling all the while.

"Breezewhisker!"

The gray tom shook himself and then looked her way. "Stormpaw?" The tone was incredulous, like he hadn't expected to find her alive. "What- do you know why we're here?"

"What? Why would I?" Now Stormpaw was the one who was surprised. "You didn't really expect me to find out some new information after just a few heart-beats here, would you?"

Breezewhisker shrugged. "Dunno, sweetheart. Yellowstripe's a good mentor; I would've thought that he would teach you how to always be aware and look for new things of and in your surroundings."

"First of all, don't call me sweetheart," Stormpaw snapped. "And second of all, I-" Her voice cracked. "Yellowstripe. Where is he?"

"They're just about to take him in now, I'd say," Breezewhisker said, although there was a tinge of a derogatory sneer in his voice. "I would think that you should know that."

"Shut up shut up shut up," Stormpaw said, blurring her words together out of frustration and anger. Who did this tom think he was? "I just wanted to know where Yellowstripe was- oh, Yellowstripe!"

Sure enough, the twoleg was bringing in Yellowstripe now. Stormpaw's mentor was sitting in a dignified sort of position, chin slightly up, tail curled neatly over his paws, but his eyes were shooting lightning bolts at the twoleg. He let out a low growl.

"Lay one paw on me and I'll claw your filthy face off, twoleg," Yellowstripe spat, so angry that he didn't even notice the other cats in the room. Stormpaw didn't think that she'd ever seen him so full of hatred before.

The twoleg didn't seem to understand, because it reached inside the cage to stroke Yellowstripe's back. Instantly, the golden tabby rose up to his full height, fur spiking up as he hissed and snarled at the twoleg. "I hate you!" he yowled, grabbing its paws between his teeth. The twoleg shrieked and quickly pulled its paw out.

"I'm warning you," Yellowstripe growled. "I don't need to spend more time with twolegs. Spending the first part of my life as a kittypet with your kind was bad enough."

Stormpaw blinked. _Yellowstripe used to be a kittypet_?

The golden tom lunged forward without any warning and slashed at the twoleg's forearms. Blood welled up in the wound and it howled, tossing the cage away. The cage hit the wall before tumbling down and smashing hard against the floor. Yellowstripe lay limply on the ground, blood starting to flow again from where he had been hit on the head by the light stick before.

"Yellowstripe! No! Not again!" Stormpaw pawed desperately at her cage as she watched, helpless. The twoleg yelled in frustration, apparently upset by Yellowstripe's being hurt. It stomped out of the den and returned a moment later with the still-sedated Bramblepelt and Tansyfrost, who were put down on the floor without any problem. It then left again and didn't come back.

Stormpaw slumped against the cage, pain gripping her heart at the sight of her mentor, laying stone-still on the ground with his golden fur tangled in a mess of blood. "P-please," she whispered. "Yellowstripe, wake up!"

"Sweetheart, yelling isn't going to do much to get him up and moving."

" _Shut up_!" Stormpaw screamed at Breezewhisker, fury flaring up in her eyes. " _Shut up, or you'll regret it_!"

Breezewhisker smirked. "If he's dead, then there's one less warrior to fight for RiverClan. One less carp-breathed fish-eater to stink up the place at the Gathering."

"He's my mentor!" Stormpaw glared at him. " _And_ my clanmate! How would you feel if... if Bramblepelt died?"

Breezewhisker stiffened, his ears flattening against his gray head. "That's different. I wouldn't expect you to understand, _darling_." His voice positively dripped with mockery.

"Oh yeah? How so?" Stormpaw pressed her face against the metal bars of her cage. "You idiot!" she exploded, a thought suddenly coming to her mind. "You're the fault of all of this!"

"What? _Me_?"

"Yes, you! If you hadn't been hunting over the border, then our patrol wouldn't yelled! The twoleg wouldn't have found us!"

"Oh, I'm the problem now?" Breezewhisker said through gritted teeth. "Oh, sure. Deny it. Deny it all. Don't bother to get my side of the story, because that's just not how RiverClan cats work, is it?" He turned away from her, making it clear that the conversation was over.

"You... you..." Stormpaw wanted to scream. She wanted to be back at camp, or maybe... maybe even at the Island back at home with Pebbleclaw and Amberwing. A sob built up in her throat, turning her blatant anger into a mixture of fury and despair.

To her surprise, tears started to fall down her face, the beautiful crystalline droplets contrasting perfectly with the dark storm of emotions inside her right now. Stormpaw let out a small choking noise, and Breezewhisker glanced behind him.

"Oh..." Breezewhisker winced, obviously uncomfortable with her tears. "I... I didn't mean to upset you _so_ much." He studied his paws.

Stormpaw shrunk back, her body shaking as she continued to cry.

And then the most unexpected thing happened.

Breezewhisker began to cry too.

It was just a sniffle at first, but soon tears were streaming down his face, and Stormpaw knew he wasn't crying because he had made her upset. The anger and tension in the room dissipated into the air, replaced with sadness and despair.

They were crying. Crying together. Crying for their clanmates, crying for their home, and crying for each other. Nothing was okay, but somehow, to Stormpaw, that simple fact made it so. It was a warped logic, but that was okay too.

It wasn't going to be okay, but Stormpaw was okay with that.

 **I know cats don't cry (emotionally, anyways) but then again, cats don't organize themselves in patrols and come up with clans and battle tactics, amiright? No? Yes?**

 **Who knows. Maybe your housecat is secretly a daylight-warrior.**

 **Anyway, sorry that this chapter isn't so good, and doesn't explain very much .-. I've been feeling sort of off lately, but I expect that I'll be back to normal soon! As always, thanks for reading, and constructive criticism and feedback are always appreciated!**

 **Infinite out! /waves**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh gosh. Again, Infinite? Really? Are you that bad at updating stories? Sorry I haven't updated in two whole weeks, haha :'D a lot of crazy crap has happened. . Forgive me! I don't like this chapter very much, personally... sorry about that!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **BrightMind: you'll have to see ;D**

 **PerfectlyClearly: Aah, thank you so much ;w;**

 **guest: oh yes! Our disgusting square teeth! xD and you'll have to see in this chapter, if you're reading it I guess!**

Amberwing huddled in one corner of the camp, her body trembling all over as her mate began to approach her with a sickly sweet smile on his face.

"Amberwing," Kestreltail murmured, sitting down next to her and wrapping a tail around her body. "I brought some prey for you."

"W-what?" Amberwing looked down and saw that the gray tabby had placed a piece of thrush by her paws. She'd been so intently focused on him that she hadn't even seen the prey. Her heart fluttered at the unusually sweet gesture. "Um, thanks." She wolfed it down in just a few bites.

"Tasty, isn't it?" Kestreltail purred.

"Erm..." Amberwing winced. The thrush hadn't been the best on the fresh-kill pile; it was stringy, tough, and old.

Kestreltail noticed her hesitation. "What, you didn't like it?" His voice was friendly and understanding on the surface, but Amberwing could hear the undertones of a snarl. "I got it specially for you, Amber, my sweet. Hunted straight out of the forest. I would expect you to be more grateful for what you have."

"I am, I am!" Amberwing said quickly. "It's delicious! Absolutely-"

"Dear, I thought I told you not to lie." Kestreltail's body wrapped around her a little more, and his voice became a snarl. "Especially after our... _last_ lesson."

The ginger she-cat caught her breath. After coming back to camp after meeting Pebbleclaw and Stormpaw, her mate had demanded to know where she'd been. She had refused, and he had given her a few good swipes along the side.

"I think we need to go into the forest, eh?" Kestreltail asked, his eyes dark. "Let's go now. You have several lessons to learn."

"I don't-"

"I told you not to defy me, either," the tabby tom growled, flicking her ear with his tail. He started towards the exit of the camp and Amberwing followed meekly. Kestreltail smiled at the guard there, his eyes flashing. The guard looked away.

They walked into the forest, side-by-side. They could have been any couple going for a walk among the trees. Amberwing swallowed; they were starting to get further into the forest, further than most of their "walks" had been. That wasn't good. The farther away from the camp, the less chance that someone would be able to hear her cries for pain.

Kestreltail stopped abruptly, right in front of a large pine tree. "This is a good spot," he commented, his voice strained.

"K-Kestreltail-"

"I'm doing this for your own good, Amberwing. If I wasn't here to guide you and teach you... well, who knows where you would be? I love you, Amber, my sweet. This is for you. I couldn't leave you. I can't stop doing this. It would only hurt you more."

He gave the same speech every time.

"You're not helping me," Amberwing said, but it was a soft, breathy whisper that could barely be heard. "You're hurting me."

Kestreltail gave her a sad, almost knowing smile and stalked forward. The ginger she-cat shrunk back and trembled, not bothering to make a sound. Kestreltail didn't like it when she whimpered. He was always saying that she needed to toughen up for the real world.

He raised his paw above her body, his long white claws unsheathed.

"This is for your own good, Amberwing. Believe me. Please."

The paw came down. This one struck her shoulder, cutting a shallow wound into the skin. Amberwing stifled a cry of pain as blood quickly began to well up in her wounds. Kestreltail whispered sweet, soothing words into her ears, comforting her and telling her that it was for her own good, but Amberwing knew that this would change soon. He would strike again, and his anger, normally hidden under a relatively docile exterior, would emerge.

"Lesson one of the day," he murmured. "Be grateful for what you have."

Amberwing held her tongue, a thousand different comebacks coming to mind. She didn't say any of them. She'd tried that once. Never again.

Kestreltail narrowed his eyes and flicked his tongue, like a snake. "Lesson two," he said, his voice barely concealing a snarl.

He didn't just swipe at her this time; he jumped, pushing her to the side, claws scrabbling at Amberwing's pelt. One slash on her flank, another on her forearm, a few scratches down her back. Amberwing couldn't help it; she let out a soft cry of pain and Kestreltail immediately stiffened. His eyes hardened into glittering chips of ice.

"You're so _sensitive_ ," he said nastily. "When I was a kit, my mother did this all the time, to teach me a lesson and for my sake.. I never cried. You need to toughen up." The sweet, charming facade that Amberwing had first fallen in love with was now gone.

"Sor...ry..." she gasped, pain throbbing along her scratches. Blood oozed from them, trickling down her fur and into the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip.

"You need to _learn_ , Amberwing," Kestreltail hissed, climbing on her back. "You've made so many mistakes. Too many mistakes." His claws dug into her skin. "Even from the moment you were born... Never able to have kits, eh, Amberwing? _Infertile_? You... you worthless mange-pelt. I wanted kits. I wanted kits more than anything else in the world."

"It's not my fault-!"

"It's your body, Amberwing. Of course it's your fault. Now, _dear,_ let's try one more time, shall we? Let's have one more lesson to really drill the concept of it into your mind."

"Kestrel... tail?" Amberwing asked weakly.

"You need to learn, scum."

Kestreltail reared up and then slammed down with all of his force. Amberwing yowled in pain; it felt like a thousand knives were driving into her pelt, digging into her skin and killing her killing her killing her-

"You'd be better off dead," he growled fiercely, opening a gash on her back. "Shut up."

"K-Kestreltail, the Gathering's tonight!"

It was a subtle message to stop hurting her or the others would notice. Amberwing had never tried doing such a thing before; but since multiple meetings with Stormpaw and Pebbleclaw, her confidence had boosted. They taught her how to... _assert_ herself. To stop being such a... a "floppy slug," as Stormpaw had put it.

Kestreltail narrowed his eyes. "Are you defying me?"

"Of course not," Amberwing said, forcing out a weak purr. "Heh..."

The tom gave her a few good swipes over the ear, but stopped after that, which caught Amberwing by surprise.

"You're right," he mused. "They'll notice. Go to Mudberry now," he ordered. "He'll fix you right up. Tell 'im you fell into a thorn bush."

"Y-yes, Kestreltail." Amberwing scrambled to her paws, her heart thudding against her chest. _It worked! I can't believe it really worked! Oh, StarClan-_

"Well? Get going!" Kestreltail gave her a sharp shove and she took off, unable to keep the smile from curling across her face.

* * *

The moon was Amberwing's heart.

It was rich, light, and full; it sparkled with radiance. Amberwing was certain that, just like how the other cats at the Gathering could see the moon's glow, they could see the radiance streaming from her. Could they not sense the difference? Did they not notice the huge smile plastered across the face, the first big, genuine smile to appear on her in quite a while?

They didn't, it seemed. None of them stopped to talk to her or ask her how she was doing. The smile dropped a little. Of course. Kestreltail had taken _that_ freedom from her too: the ability to make friends.

"Amberwing!"

Amberwing jerked around, startled. Her fur started to bristle before she smoothed it down and calmed herself. "O-oh, hi, Pebbleclaw!" she said, mustering up the most cheerful-sounding words she could. "Nice seeing you here?"

Pebbleclaw's expression was dark and brooding. "Have you seen Stormpaw at all?" he asked. "I haven't bumped into her while on patrol for days, and I don't see her here." Then his eyes darkened as he caught sight of the herbs plastered all over Amberwing's scratches. "Kestreltail?" he guessed.

Amberwing shrugged, smiling weakly, though every wound was burning like fire. "It's okay. Just a few scratches. And I'm sure Stormpaw's fine," she assured him. "She probably just doesn't want to go out of RiverClan camp or something."

"It's weird, though." Pebbleclaw lashed his tail, although his eyes were still fixated on her scratches. "This isn't like her. She _loves_ going out."

Amberwing bit back a stinging retort: _Since when do you know Stormpaw so well_? But as usual, she kept it inside, already disgusted with her thoughts. Terrible thoughts, her mate called them. "Well, I... don't know," she said instead.

"Alright." Pebbleclaw flicked his ear and sat down next to her. Amberwing let out a barely perceptible sigh, happy that this Gathering wasn't going to be spent alone behind a bush somewhere likes all the others.

The leaders were starting their announcements. The ginger she-cat paid close attention to all of them, her eyes bright. It wasn't until the RiverClan leader's announcement, however, that things got messy.

Mallowstar, leader of RiverClan, stepped up after ThunderClan and WindClan had gone. "Three cats of our clan have gone missing," he boomed. "Yellowstripe, Stormpaw, and Tansyfrost have not been seen since three sunrises ago. One of our other warriors, Blackfeather, claims that they, along with two ShadowClan warriors, have been taken by twolegs."

Amberwing let out a faint shriek; next to her, Pebbleclaw drew in a gasp. Suddenly, the air all around the two cats was abuzz with chatter and rumors were flying.

"Silence. _Silence_!" Mallowstar held up his tail, and the clans stopped gossiping. "We have no reason to believe that they are in any immediate danger-"

"Excuse me?" It was a slim ShadowClan she-cat who spoke, standing up with her fur spiked. "They've been taken by twolegs! Of _course_ they're in danger!" She lashed her tail furiously. "I already talked with Froststar when Bramblepelt and... and _Breezewhisker_ hadn't come back in days." She said Breezewhisker's name with a hunt of disgust.

"Shush, Willowheart," the ShadowClan leader, Froststar, snapped. "This is quite a shock, indeed, but we must all keep our heads on. We cannot rush into this. The twolegs would only take more cats." She paused for effect. "I say that we wait another week and if they are not back yet, we will send out a search party for them."

Gossip was happening again. Next to Amberwing, Pebbleclaw's tail was lashing and his fur was starting to bristle.

"B-but!" Pebbleclaw yelped beside her. Amberwing stiffened and looked around fearfully; cats were staring at them now, waiting to see what this brown tom would say. Kestreltail wouldn't like her spending time with another tom. Then she pushed the selfish thought away: _Stormpaw is missing_!

"But," Pebbleclaw continued, looking slightly nervous, "Mallowstar, isn't Yellowstripe your deputy? How will your clan function without him for another week?"

"That is very true," Mallowstar agreed, glowering at him slightly. His ears were twitching like he was trying to shake off a fly. "But-"

"And Stormpaw," Pebbleclaw interrupted, his claws sliding out. "She's got her heart condition, right? And Tansyfrost: another loyal warriors All of you!" His hackles were raising and his words were being rushed together. "Look at you, Mallowstar! They could be _dead_ by now!"

"We don't know where they are," Mallowstar replied smoothly, although there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. The other cats at the Gathering were watching the conversation, eyes wide, but Mallowstar ignored them. "If we don't know their location, we could lose more warriors if they try to find our cats. We cannot look for them right now. Stop chasing your foolish dreams. The cats will find a way home themselves in a week, and if they do not come back by then, we will send out a search party for them," he finished triumphantly.

"Stop it!" the WindClan warrior cried.

"You stop it," Froststar cut in. "W-We don't need to look for them right now, but more importantly, we _can't_ look for them right now." She opened her mouth to say more, but Pebbleclaw beat her to it.

"Y-you don't value your clanmates' lives at all!" Pebbleclaw glared at them, and then at the ground. His claws were tearing up pieces of grass and dirt, and his eyes were flaming. Several cats around him were agreeing with his statements and nodding their heads.

Mallowstar scowled, his eye twitching slightly. "Pebbleclaw," the RiverClan leader asked, "is there any particular reason that you are so interested in cats from different clans? You're not breaking the Warrior Code, are you?"

"N-no, Mallowstar," Pebbleclaw stammered, caught off guard.

"Good. Froststar, your turn for announcements."

"My pleasure." She dipped her head and rambled on about the missing warriors and a badger family on ShadowClan territory. Amberwing wasn't listening, and she could tell that Pebbleclaw wasn't either.

Stormpaw was missing. Stormpaw was missing. Stormpaw, who had been one of the major factors in letting Amberwing, slowly and piece-by-piece, gain her confidence back-

The she-cat gulped, fear for Stormpaw clouding her gaze. _Please, please StarClan, let her be okay. Please. I-I'll... Please._

Pebbleclaw interrupted her prayers for her friend's safety by tapping her shoulder with his tail and leaning in close to her ear. "Amberwing," he whispered.

She stiffened, apprehension crawling along her spine. "Yes?"

"We... should go look for them. Stormpaw and the others, I mean. We can't leave them there! I know they're not part of our clan, but-"

"I know what y-you mean," Amberwing whispered, before turning away. She sucked in a deep breath. "Pebbleclaw, I'd love to help you rescue them from- wherever they are, but... Kestreltail. Please understand. I care about all of the cats' lives very, very much, and I wish to StarClan that they all come back safe and alive. But..."

"Oh." His eyes darkened. "But Amberwing, it's important."

She couldn't take it anymore. Her emotions were swirling inside her. Amberwing whirled around, spitting. "I'm important too!" she hissed. "I have to suffer through Kestreltail's unfair treatments every day!" As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. The ginger cat had never spoken out against her mate like that before.

"Um, I didn't mean it," she said quickly. "I love Kestreltail. I do."

"Amberwing, it's fine. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have- sorry. I shouldn't have expected you to agree to such a stupid mission. But," the tabby tom added, flicking his ear, "if you change your mind, I'll be looking for Stormpaw and the others tomorrow morning. I'll wait here, at the Island, until sunrise, and then I'll leave. I can't just leave a bunch of innocent cats with some catnapping twolegs. I can't."

Amberwing turned away. "I'll think about it," she mumbled. Pebbleclaw looked at her for a while, his gaze boring holes into her back, until clouds covered the moon and the Gathering finally ended.

Amberwing's heart was the like moon again, in its new state: covered in fog, wrapped in a cloud of confusion, and only dully, barely shining.

 **As always, constructive feedback is appreciated! Thank you for reading, and have a fabulous day! -Infinite**


End file.
